Youngwood woman pleads guilty to assaulting her grandmother over volume of Steelers game

Michael Amorino told a Westmoreland County judge that his niece lived a troubled, isolated life with her mother that was marked by mental illness and abuse, all factors that led to the August 2017 beating inflicted on his elderly mother during a dispute over the volume of a Pittsburgh Steelers preseason football game.

Sarah Amorino, 20, of Youngwood pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of aggravated assault, conspiracy, strangulation, false imprisonment, simple assault, harassment and making terroristic threats for her role in the attack against her 78-year-old grandmother. Police said Amorino and her mother, Delores Amorino, 42, held the older woman captive for two days while they beat her with a broom, kicked her, choked her, assaulted her with chemicals and shaved her head.

“I hold (Delores Amorino) responsible for creating the situation that is responsible for the way (Sarah Amorino) is. Sarah is responsible for her actions and what she did to my mother,” Michael Amorino told a Westmoreland County judge Tuesday. “I just want my mother to be safe, for my sister and niece to get the help they need.”

According to court records, Sarah Amorino and her mother became enraged with the older woman when she refused to lower the volume of the Steelers’ game broadcast and broke down her bedroom door to commit the assaults. She was able to escape the home while her daughter and granddaughter slept, police said.

Sarah Amorino in court Tuesday said it was in her best interest to plead guilty.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger sentenced Sarah Amorino to serve 2 to 4 years in prison and five years on probation. Since her arrest 28 months ago, she has been in jail and at times held in custody at Torrance State Hospital for mental health treatment. The judge said Sarah Amorino will be transferred to the state prison system to continue mental health treatment until she is paroled.

Prior to her guilty plea, Krieger ruled Sarah Amorino competent to stand trial.

Sarah Amorino and her mother this year were diagnosed with a rare mental health disorder that involve shared delusions. A psychiatrist previously testified both women believe they are involved in romantic relationships with current and former members of the Steelers and that the players would come to their defense as part of the criminal cases.

Michael Amorino testified Tuesday that his sister and niece once traveled to the Georgia hometown of a Steelers’ player to seek his whereabouts.

Krieger, in imposing the sentence, said he was puzzled by the case and said he did not understand the relationship between the Amorino women.

“For you to progress, you can’t have contact with your mother. I believe this is in your best interest,” Krieger said.

Delores Amorino pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated assault, false imprisonment, simple assault and harassment and was sentenced to serve 11½ to 23 months in jail. She was paroled and released from jail Monday night. She did not appear in court Tuesday for her daughter’s hearing.